Aizen stood tall before Ichigo as he fell too his knees, feeling his powers fading.
"You have lost, Ichigo Kurosaki. Behold! My Zanpakutou is disappearing. The Hogyoku has decided that I no longer require a Zanpakutou."
As Aizen said this his Zanpakutou disintegrated before Ichigo's eyes.
"Now that you have lost your powers, I shall eclipse you, and attain heights of power far beyond your imagination. Your finished Kurosaki!"
Suddenly spears of light erupted from Aizens chest.
"Seems that it finally activated."
Ichigo turned his head at the sound of the voice, too see Urahara calmly walking towards him and Aizen. Behind him a disheveled Yoruichi could be seen.
Aizen let loose a snarl "Urahara, is this your doing?"
Urahara looked at Aizen with calm demeanor "Yes, I concealed a kido within another kido and implanted it in your body before your fight with Ichigo. I knew if you fused with the Hogyoku killing you would be impossible, so I developed a new kido specifically to disrupt your link with the Hogyoku."
Aizen began too shake before letting loose a laugh. "Ha! Is that so? Well it would all seem in vain, even now I feel energy pouring into me from the Hogyoku. I will be a god!"
As Aizen spoke the Hogyoku let out a pulse of energy before beginning too glow an ominous purple.
Urahara's eyes widened seeing the Hogyoku's reaction too his kido. "Ichigo get out of there!"
Ichigo tried too stand up before falling to his knees again. Seeing this, Urahara and Yoruichi flash stepped next too Ichigo, each grabbing a shoulder as the Hogyoku exploded in a brilliant purple light. All three feeling themselves being pulled from their position.
Darkness, that's all Ichigo knew. He did not know how long he had floated through this void, no feeling is his body. Had it been minutes? Hours? Days? Years? He did not know, but there was a certain tranquility too it.
"Ichigo."
"Wait, I know that voice." Ichigo tried too put a face too the voice he was hearing, feeling as though he could almost see it in his mind, but there was a fog that kept it hidden.
"Ichigo, can you hear my voice? How long must I call out too you?"
The fog on Ichigo's mind suddenly lifted "Zangetsu! Where are you?"
"I'm next too you Ichigo, you only need open your eyes."
With that Ichigo saw a light, which grew brighter the more he looked at it. Soon the world around him came into view, and feeling slowly returned too his body.
As Ichigo looked around he saw many destroyed buildings, and waters that didn't seem too have a bottom. "Is this my inner world?"
"Indeed Ichigo, much was destroyed when you used the final Getsuga. Though it will repair itself in time."
Ichigo looked over too see Zangetsu, standing on a flagpole, his cloak seemingly made of endless billowing shadow. His appearance, that of a scruffy middle aged man with sunglasses. "But old man, you told me I would lose all of my soul reaper powers if I used the final Getsuga."
Releasing a sigh Zangetsu looked Ichigo in the eyes. "And you nearly did. Do you not realize someone is missing."
"Hey, yeah, where is my hollow?"
"He is a part of me. He sacrificed nearly all of his power so I could keep a shred of mine in you. He will recover, as will I, but it will take time. I would guess your strength is the same as it was when you first entered soul society."
"Does this mean I can't use bankai?"
Zangetsu shook his head. "No Ichigo, you can not, not until you grow stronger, and I decide you are worthy of wielding it again."
"What do you mean 'worthy again'!? I passed your test Zangetsu, when we trained in the cave with Yoruichi."
"you did Ichigo, but you did not master shikai. you focused on gaining power to protect everyone, and skipped many steps that other soul reapers spent decades mastering. you do progress faster than any soul reaper in history, but it will take time to get back too your former power, and this time I will not allow you to take any shortcuts."
"Very well old man Zangetsu. I trust you, and will do all that it takes too prove I'm worthy of wielding your power again."
"Good, Ichigo. I am glad too hear that you still put your faith and trust in me. For now, our conversation has reached its end. You have been unconscious for some time, and are now ready to wake up."
Before Zangetsu's eyes, Ichigo slowly faded from view. "Do you not see Ichigo, I have never lost faith in you. I have only ever wished too see you grow stronger, and will do all that is in my capability to assist you in reaching that pinnacle of power that you strive for. If for nothing else, than too ensure you never have too use that damnable technique again."
"Hey Kisuke, I think he is waking up."
"Ichigo, can you hear me?"
Ichigo let out a bit of a grunt, cracking his eyes open. The light was blinding at first, but he gradually adjusted, seeing a stark white ceiling, and a single light fixture with fan slowly revolving around it. Turning his eyes he saw Yoruichi sitting too his left, with Kisuke standing just behind her shoulder.
Yoruichi smiled in Ichigo's direction "hey Ichigo, how are you feeling?" Her voice gentle and soothing.
Ichigo's attempted too sit up, letting out an unceremonious grunt is effort. "Sore." His voice quiet and raspy.
"Here, drink this."
Yoruichi then passed Ichigo a glass of water from the side table next to the bed.
Gulping down the water Ichigo realized how thirsty he was. His throatt felt dry, and each gulp soothed it a bit more than the last.
Ichigo put the glass back in Yoruichi's outstretched hand before looking at the duo. "Where am I? What happened?" Ichigo's voice still raspy, but now more audible.
Yoruichi and Urahara shared a look before Urahara let loose a sigh. "Well young Ichigo, to answer your first question, we are in my shop. More precisely, my new shop. As for what happened, you defeated Aizen, and through a bit of my own genius his connection with the Hogyoku was disrupted." After saying this Urahara began too frown. "Though there was an unexpected side effect that I had not foreseen."
Ichigo raised an eyebrow at Urahara's comment. "What kind of unexpected side effect are you talking about? Is everyone safe?"
Urahara's face time on a contemplative expression "well, I assume everyone is safe since they are not here with us. I believe the Hogyoku transported us... somewhere else. We are on earth, but not OUR earth."
Ichigo's eyes widened at Urahara's words. "Not our earth? What the hell does that even mean!?"
Urahara went too talk again before Yoruichi held a hand up in his then grabs Ichigo's shoulder, directing his attention too her, before looking him directly in his eyes. "I'll put it simply for you Ichigo. You fought Aizen, you won. The Hogyoku exploded, and the three of us were transported too an alternate reality of sorts. You have been unconscious for nearly a month, which we have used too take care of you and find information on this version of earth."
Ichigo felt his jaw drop, his mind trying too process all the information he had learned. "Is there a way back?"
Urahara shook his head. "Not from what we have figured out. Our soul reaper powers work here, but many of the materials that I had at my disposal in soul society just don't exist here."
Ichigo seemed to deflate at this information. "So your telling me I'll never see Orihime, or Chad, or even Uryu?"
Yoruichi leaned over too Ichigo and embraced him."I'm sorry Ichigo. You've already given so much."
Urahara cleared his throat as Yoruichi let go of Ichigo. "Well, me and Yoruichi are going into the other room, join us when your ready. We will get you some food, and explain our situation more over some tea."
Yoruichi let out a chuckle. "I think sake might be a bit more productive in this situation."
Watching Yoruichi and Urahara walk out of the room, Ichigo leaned against the wall behind the bed. "Stuck in another world, and no way too return." Ichigo let out a sigh, before slinging his feet over the bed. "No sense moping around. Mine as well go out and see what else those two know."
With those words said Ichigo walked out of the room, to begin his new journey, in a new world.